Macopinion

iFixIt Revamps Apple Laptop Teardown Guides; Disassembles 17” MacBook Pro

iFixit's lab has completed its disassembly of the new 17" MacBook Pro, with photography of the process to be used in a new iFixIt teardown guide for that machine.

More on the 17-incher below, but first, If you are inclined to tinker with your Mac laptop and have never availed yourself of iFixIt's superb Fixit Guide series, you're missing out on one of the most helpful and useful free resources for Mac laptop and Mac mini owners on the Web:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/

iFixIt is a parts and service outfit specializing in Apple laptops, and has transformed their technical expertise in taking Mac portables apart into this wonderful series of FixIt Guides that unlike Apple's service manuals, are designed to walk an uninitiated user through the process of opening up and tearing down a PowerBook for service/repairs or upgrading.

Initially launched way back when as hard copy manuals for the WallStreet, Pismo, and Titanium DVI PowerBooks and others back in 2003, the iFixIt Guides are now exclusively available for free as online resources or in downloadable PDF format, and provide clear, easy-to-follow, and comprehensively detailed step-by -step illustrated instructions for opening up and disassembling these machines. "Mac repair for the masses." Just what the doctor ordered.

The guides rely heavily on attractively-reproduced color photographs to convey what you need to know, and what little text there is essentially amounts to photo captions. Each image identifies the action to take and highlights screws to remove. The Guides break the process of disassembling your PowerBook down into manageable steps, allowing you to approach the task incrementally.

Each image identifies the action to take and highlights screws to remove. The Guides break the process of disassembling your PowerBook down into manageable steps, allowing you to approach the task incrementally.

To upgrade your RAM, for example, simply follow the links until you get to the RAM upgrade section. The photography gives you a birds-eye-view of what your computer should look like after you remove major components.

The Guides walk you through the teardown process from removing the keyboard to separating the display from the CPU unit and on down to a bare chassis. For reassembly, just follow the same steps in reverse order.

Key features of the iFixIt Guides:
• Customized instructions for each part
• User-friendly layout
• Professional, close-up pictures of each step
• Printable screw guides to keep track of screws

And if you haven't visited lately, iFixIt has recently done a substantial makeover of the guides, the new features including:

• Guide notes. iFixIt's Kyle Wiens says that they've always appreciated useful feedback about our guides from users, but sometimes it takes them a little while to integrate your disassembly tips into their instructions. Guide notes provide a platform for you to help share what you’ve learned about while working on your own hardware.

• Troubleshooting notes. Do you have any additional ideas for diagnosing hardware problems? Do you disagree with iFixIt on a diagnosis? Post what you know so other people don’t have to reproduce your knowledge the hard way.

• Community forum. Brag about your triumph over the gremlins Apple hides inside Macs, or get help from everyone with your current problems.

• Search. Kyle says this has been the #1 most requested feature, and apologizes that it has taken so long.

• New navigation. They've added helpful background information about specific devices alongside links to the step-by-step guides and troubleshooting documents. For example, if you browse from Mac to MacBook to MacBook Core Duo, you’ll find that they've added a list of possible MacBook Core Duo upgrades, links to other useful information on the net, and some historical information on the hardware, and Wiens says they will be adding to this over time.

iFixIt has done a tremendous service for the Mac portable (and mini) community by preparing and http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/ publishing these excellent guides. iFixIt sells thousands of PowerBook & iBook parts and accessories through their online store, so if there's something you need, you can check it out here and possibly send some business their way in appreciation:
http://www.iFixit.com

Now back to the 17" unibody MacBook Pro, Kyle Wiens offers these notes and comments:

* Even after paying Apple $2799, this computer STILL doesn't come with a Mini DisplayPort adapter.

* There are three tri-wing screws holding the battery to the Unibody case. Apple did this to intimidate people out of swapping the battery, but a small flathead screwdriver works fine to remove the screws.

* You can replace the battery by removing 13 screws and a replaceable sticker.

* The battery is HUGE. It weighs 20.1 ounces (1.25 pounds). That's 20% of the computer's weight!

* The Bluetooth board is much easier to access and repair than it is in the MacBook Pro 15" Unibody, where it is tucked away inside the display assembly.

* As expected, the 17" design and internal layout is very similar to the MacBook Pro 15". Most of the extra space is occupied by the battery. The Unibody case does make the computer feel much more solid than its predecessor, which had a lot more torsional flex. This is a very solid computer.

Interesting photos:

Overview

Logic board top

Display comparison

iFixIt have posted initial disassembly photos of the new MacBook Pro 17" Unibody here:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/First-Look/MacBook-Pro-17-Inch-Unibody/618/1

and here:
http://s1.guide-images.ifixit.com/igi/Gf2GPJlfKvbLJLDZ.huge

For more information, see:
http://www.ifixit.com/blog



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